Marc was in a serious road accident, and he was left physically disabled, with the life that he had prior to the accident changed beyond recognition. Danielle, his occupational therapist, discovered that Marc was a passionate angler before his accident.  Danielle said, “Before the accident, Marc would spend all his time talking about fishing, going fishing, and sitting by the lake fishing for hours.  When Marc was admitted to the hospital where I work, he wasn’t able to talk; he could only communicate Yes or No by blinking his eyes. My concern for Marc was to find out what was important to him, and what could he do when he left hospital. He’s in a different phase of his life now, as so much has happened. What’s important is that Marc can continue to do something that he loves and enjoys, and most importantly, he can do it by himself”. As a result of Danielle’s intervention, Marc started fishing again and now goes on regular fishing trips, enabling him to continue with the hobby he loves.

Stephen is disabled and wheelchair dependent, but thanks to Paul, his occupational therapist, he can now drive a specially adapted vehicle.  As a result of gaining his new-found independence, Stephen no longer relies on his parents to take him everywhere, and the quality of his life has greatly improved.  As Stephen says, “Being able to drive means I can go riding and I can go to college.  Being independent means everything to me.  I can do whatever I want and it’s made a huge difference to my life.  I wouldn’t be where I am now – and there would be no hope for other disabled people - if it wasn’t for Paul and other occupational therapists like him”.